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Cybersecurity · head to head

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint vs ThetaRay

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint logo

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Cybersecurity

Enterprise endpoint security built into Microsoft 365

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
ThetaRay logo

ThetaRay

Cybersecurity

Unsupervised AI transaction monitoring for cross-border and correspondent banking

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales; ThetaRay unsupervised models are harder to justify to an examiner than explicit rules, and some regulators still expect documented threshold logic, which can force you to run both systems.
  • They diverge on capability: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, ThetaRay covers Unsupervised detection.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ThetaRay actually diverge.

Attributes where Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and ThetaRay differ
AttributeMicrosoft Defender for EndpointThetaRay
PlatformsWindows, macOS, Linux, iOS, AndroidWeb
Founded1975Unknown

Identical on both: starting price (On request), pricing model (quote), free tier (No), user rating (Not yet rated), category (Cybersecurity).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

  • Threat & vulnerability management
  • Attack surface reduction
  • Next-gen protection
  • EDR
  • Auto investigation
  • Microsoft Threat Experts
  • Threat analytics
  • Secure score

Only in ThetaRay

  • Unsupervised detection
  • Cross-border focus
  • Sanctions screening
  • Alert triage
  • Customer risk scoring
  • Cloud native

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

  • Enterprise endpoint security across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS via Plans 1 or 2not ThetaRay
  • Small and medium-sized businesses using Microsoft Defender for Business as alternativenot ThetaRay
  • Organisations using Microsoft 365 E5 which includes Defender for Endpoint Plan 2not ThetaRay

ThetaRay

  • A correspondent bank that cannot see the ultimate originator and needs behavioural signals rather than counterparty listsnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • A cross-border payments fintech whose rules engine produces more alerts than its compliance team can clearnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • A bank under a regulatory consent order needing demonstrable improvement in detection within a fixed periodnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
  • A payment institution entering a high-risk corridor where existing thresholds were calibrated on domestic trafficnot Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

  • Pricing not published on public websites; quote required from Microsoft sales
  • Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 and Plan 2 do not include server licenses; additional licensing required for server protection
  • Specific feature differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2 require consulting Microsoft documentation

ThetaRay

  • Unsupervised models are harder to justify to an examiner than explicit rules, and some regulators still expect documented threshold logic, which can force you to run both systems.
  • The alert reduction claim depends heavily on your data, so a parallel run is essential and adds months and cost before you can decommission the incumbent.
  • Coverage is strongest in cross-border and correspondent flows; institutions whose risk is domestic retail fraud will find the fit weaker than a general-purpose monitoring platform.
  • It is a smaller vendor than the incumbents, so integration connectors into legacy core banking systems are often bespoke work rather than a supported adapter.
  • Model retraining and tuning are vendor-led, which means changing detection behaviour is a support conversation rather than something your own analysts can do that afternoon.

Pricing, plan by plan

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review.

ThetaRay

On request
  • ThetaRay Sonar$undefined/year
    • Priced by monitored transaction volume and number of monitored entities
    • SaaS on Azure with regional data residency options
    • Parallel run and model tuning included in onboarding

Which should you pick?

Choose Microsoft Defender for Endpoint if

  • You need threat & vulnerability management.
  • You work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.
  • You also want attack surface reduction.
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint review

Choose ThetaRay if

  • You need unsupervised detection.
  • You also want cross-border focus.
ThetaRay review

Questions people ask

Is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or ThetaRay better?
Neither clearly leads. Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request and ThetaRay at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or ThetaRay?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint starts at On request and ThetaRay at On request.
Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint or ThetaRay run on more platforms?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint runs on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android. ThetaRay runs on Web.
What is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint best used for?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint is most often used for enterprise endpoint security across windows, macos, linux, android, and ios via plans 1 or 2, small and medium-sized businesses using microsoft defender for business as alternative, organisations using microsoft 365 e5 which includes defender for endpoint plan 2. Of those, enterprise endpoint security across windows, macos, linux, android, and ios via plans 1 or 2 and small and medium-sized businesses using microsoft defender for business as alternative are not what ThetaRay is typically brought in for.
What can Microsoft Defender for Endpoint do that ThetaRay cannot?
Microsoft Defender for Endpoint covers Threat & vulnerability management, Attack surface reduction, Next-gen protection, EDR. ThetaRay covers Unsupervised detection, Cross-border focus, Sanctions screening, Alert triage.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: How is Microsoft Defender for Endpoint priced?

Defender for Endpoint is bundled into Microsoft 365 enterprise subscriptions. Plan 1 is included in Microsoft 365 E3, and Plan 2 is included in Microsoft 365 E5. Individual pricing is not published separately.

Source
ThetaRay: Does it replace a rules engine entirely?

Rarely on day one. Most institutions run it alongside existing rules during a parallel period, and some keep specific regulator-mandated rules permanently.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: Does Microsoft Defender for Endpoint offer a trial?

Yes. A free trial is available for prospective customers to test the product before committing to a subscription.

Source
ThetaRay: Where is the data processed?

SaaS runs on Microsoft Azure with regional deployment options, which is the mechanism for meeting data residency conditions in regulated markets.

Microsoft Defender for Endpoint: What is the difference between Plan 1 and Plan 2?

Plan 1 (in E3) includes unified security tools, device controls, network protection, firewall, web/URL controls, APIs, SIEM connectors, and app controls. Plan 2 (in E5) adds endpoint detection and response, deception techniques, automatic attack disruption, exposure management, and threat intelligence.

Source
ThetaRay: Is sanctions screening included?

Screening is available on the same platform but licensed as part of the commercial package rather than bundled by default. Confirm it is in your quote.

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